1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of pastry production. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for producing a novel baking composition for pastries and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pastries or cakes of the kind known as florentines, macaroons, crunchies, almond slices, almond sweetmeats, nutty crackers, cream rolls and the like, as well as special German type of pastry called "Bienenstich" consisting essentially of a base of yeast dough with a coating or surface of sugar, fat, almond and nuts are well known. In all of these types of pastries or cakes, substantially the same basic mass is used and only the extra ingredients are varied. Such pastries or cakes are produced, for example, by forming a past made of sugar and/or sugar materials, such as, honey, fat and milk product, and this paste is then boiled. This compound is filled as intermediate product into containers and must have liquid added thereto prior to baking by heating. At this time, ground additives, such as almonds, coconut flakes, nuts and/or fruit are added to the batter. This batter may then be spread on baking tins and baked.
The term "fat" used in this specification comprises any edible animal or vegetable fat, butter or oil. The milk product used may be cream or condensed skimmed milk.
The method described above is used, for example, for making florentine cakes. For the manufacture of so-called Bienenstich, the compound is spread over a base of leavened dough. With the known processes this is rather difficult because only small amounts may be applied, on the one hand, to prevent the dough from burning, and on the other hand, to prevent the mass from running off the dough. Furthermore, when the hot mass is spread, fermentation bubbles may form due to the thermal shock. Moreover, the mass penetrates through channels and pores in the rolled dough on to the tin, preventing the pastry from being properly formed. For this reason, baked pastry of this type is difficult to cut and problems arise when a cream filling is to be used.
The known methods also have further disadvantages. The material must be heated prior to use in order to admix the ingredients, and this presents an additional step. Furthermore, the material is sticky and viscous and cannot be easily removed from its container, consequently, accurate measuring is difficult. During application by hand, the hand must be kept continuously wet by dipping it in water, and during the baking, the adhering water gives rise to undesirable bubbles. When the material is too moist, for example, for making florentine cakes, the mass tends to burn in the tins or to run and the resulting pastry is unattractive.
For the manufacture of florentine cakes it is also known to spread nut and/or almond kernel shavings on a belt of siliconised paper and to form a flat base by vibration, whereupon a preheated and liquified mixture (batter) of the kind mentioned above is sprayed on. This results in non-uniform mixing, whilst the jet may cause the kernel shavings or crushed kernels to be dislodged and an unfavourable layering to be produced.